The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

Original Text of Resolution:

(D009)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 1994 General Convention of the Episcopal Church affirm that rapid global population growth adversely affects the prospects for peace and justice by exacerbating poverty, deprivation and suffering, and depleting environmental resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church support the 1930 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican communion, which approved contraception for purposes of family planning; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church, in order to improve the quality of life for all, commend to the several dioceses and agencies of the Episcopal Church as well as to the Anglican Communion, action in the following

1. Provide information on the full range of affordable and acceptable contraceptive and reproductive health care services for women and men;
2. Encourage people to have only the number of children they can nurture and educate;
3. Promote the involvement of men in family life and encourage them to share responsibility for family planning and family health;
4. Improve women's health through use of family planning and reproductive health programs;
5. Increase girls' participation in primary and secondary education and women's access to education, legal rights, economic opportunities and all levels of decision-making;
6. Lower infant and child mortality by protecting and preserving child and maternal health and welfare by utilizing educational programs which start with young boys and girls;
7. Reduce our wasteful consumption of the Earth's resources and promote its preservation; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the 1994 General Convention be requested to send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Undersecretary for Global Affairs of the Department of State, the chairman of the International Conference on Population and Development, the representative of the Anglican Consultative Council to the United Nations, the Secretary General of the United States Catholic Conference, the Administrator of USAID, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, together with a letter expressing the hope that the actions proposed above be carried out world-wide.

Proposed Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 1994 General Convention of the Episcopal Church affirm that rapid global population growth adversely affects the prospects for peace and justice by exacerbating poverty, deprivation and suffering, and depleting environmental resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church support reaffirm the 1930 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican communion, which approved contraception for purposes of family planning; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Church, in order to improve the quality of life for all, commend to the several dioceses and agencies of the Episcopal Church as well as to the relative structures of the Anglican Communion action in the following programs and projects to provide information to all men and women on the full range of affordable, acceptable, safe, and non-coercive contraceptive and reproductive health care services, utilizing educational programs which start with young boys and girls; and be it further

1.Provide information on the full range of affordable and acceptable contraceptive and reproductive health care services for women and men;

2.Encourage people to have only the number of children they can nurture and educate;

3.Promote the involvement of men in family life and encourage them to share responsibility for family planning and family health;

4.Improve women's health through use of family planning and reproductive health programs;

5.Increase girls' participation in primary and secondary education and women's access to education, legal rights, economic opportunities and all levels of decision-making;

6.Lower infant and child mortality by protecting and preserving child and maternal health and welfare by utilizing educational programs which start with young boys and girls;

7.Reduce our wasteful consumption of the Earth's resources and promote its preservation; and be it further

Resolved, That governments everywhere be encouraged to recognize, acknowledge and seek remedies to reverse the rapid global population growth that adversely affects the health, education and quality of life of women; the prospects for peace; and depletes environmental resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the 1994 General Convention be requested to send a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Vice-President of the United States, the Undersecretary for Global Affairs of the Department of State, the chairman of the International Conference on Population and Development, the representative of the Anglican Consultative Council to the United Nations, the Secretary General of the United States Catholic Conference, the Administrator of USAID, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, together with a letter expressing the hope that the actions proposed above be carried out world-wide.

Deputy Simons of Pittsburgh moved an amendment to D009.

Proposed Amendment:

Add the words "parents and their children" following "with" in line 7 of the third resolved, and delete the words "young boys and girls."

A vote was taken on the Simons amendment.

Motion carried

Simons amendment adopted

The question was called to terminate debate on D009, as amended.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on D009, as amended.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #159)